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surface grinding?

I need a few small pieces of stainless steel ( 6x2x1/4, 6x2x1/2, 6x1.5x1/4, 6x1.5x1/2) ground flat and square. My guess is that's the job for a machine shop with a surface grinder? Does any one have a idea of that they would charge me, I have a few shops close by? Guy once drilled two 3/4" holes threw 1.5 inch steel for me and charged me $20 bucks. But I doubt he would do it again, took him 1/2 hour and a lot of sweat. I don't want to walk into a shop and be shocked when they want $500+ if that's what it costs? Kind of like walking into a restaurant And walking out when the menu is to expensive.
I don't need them true to 1000's of a inch just cleaned up, is there another way of going about this? I tried running my belt sander over it but it took me a hour and it still don't look that great.

Send it to Devin. Milling machine would work on unhardened steel but cutting will induce stress, so you would have to relieve stress in the steel if you plan heat treating it.
Collin, if you need these just for references, you might be find them in same dimensions as parallels. Precision ground and hardened.
M

"All beauty that has no foundation in use, soon grows distasteful and needs continuous replacement with something new." The Shakers' saying.

Send it to Devin. Milling machine would work on unhardened steel but cutting will induce stress, so you would have to relieve stress in the steel if you plan heat treating it.
Collin, if you need these just for references, you might be find them in same dimensions as parallels. Precision ground and hardened.
M

Not following you here? Parallels?? Yes I just need them references they need to be stainless but don't need to be hardened or heat treated. I got all sorts of steel laying around but steel bar is not flat.

Parallels are blocks of steel that come in all sorts of sizes that are machined to exact specs so they can be used as references while doing machine work and other things. They can be pricey though.

What are you using them for?

Got it, did a search and found some on eBay. Can't seem to find any wider then 1 3/4"? Need 1/4" thick all the way up to 2.5" wide.
I'm using them to wet/ heat block form leather, they use to make "blocking irons" for leather work 100 years ago, but I don't see them around any more.

Thanks Michael let me know when you will be in NY I'll have a room waiting for you in the hotel and cook ya dinner, maybe you could do the NY knife & blade show? Be a lot cheeper not having to drop $$ on hotel room & food. I'm on long island thou so it's a 30-40 minute train ride for you to Penn station... O $hit they moved that show to NJ, might need a rent-a-car that show is a 45 minute drive from me.